


The Calm Before

by MelodyoftheVoid



Series: Fading Reflections [4]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Cute gay shit™, M/M, Red and Purple always use each other as chairs and that is a fact, Zim's big sad, he just wants Dib back, the tallest aren't stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodyoftheVoid/pseuds/MelodyoftheVoid
Summary: Red and Purple weigh in on the events unfolding.
Relationships: Almighty Tallest Purple/Almighty Tallest Red, Background, Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Series: Fading Reflections [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817320
Comments: 24
Kudos: 158





	The Calm Before

Purple couldn’t take this anymore. He hated when Red got into one of his moods, the man refusing to speak to anyone about his problems until he inevitably exploded. Even then he’d still be cagey and avoid the topic altogether. Purple supposed that having Empress Miyuki as a mother didn’t exactly make for a caring environment. 

That wasn’t going to stop him from getting to the bottom of this though.

“What’s bothering you Red?”

Crimson shot across his husband’s face, embarrassed to be caught in any sort of distracted state.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Dear, you’re sitting on my lap,” Purple cupped Red’s cheek with his right hand, watching the Irken prince lean into the touch to hide his subtle blush, “I can feel you bouncing your leg you idiot. Seriously though are you ok? You barely ate anything today…” 

Red let out a small huff. He really couldn’t keep anything from Pur could he? 

“It’s just- Have you seen Zim lately?” 

Now that took Purple aback. Out of all the possible reasons for worry? Zim?

“Since when did you care about him? He’s always been a nuisance, so what brought this on?”

Red shifted, his brow furrowing in mild annoyance. 

“He’s still my brother Pur, despite all the trouble he’s caused us over the years. Since that one idiot prince disappeared… He hasn’t been,” he hesitated; concern as masked as it was, still shone through his voice, “he’s not been the same since. He looks so empty and it’s. It’s more than a little disquieting.”

It was true. Zim had barely spoken since Prince Membrane vanished without a trace. He clung to Gir, walking to their favorite spots just to wait there. Looking over as if expecting his betrothed to appear. Any correspondence with the Tierras kingdom was met with frantic desperation followed by disappointment when no news came. Even Purple, who did his best to ignore the young prince, could see it wearing down on him. 

A pang of empathy for his young brother in law shot through Purple. A feeling he never really expected to have in all honesty. He didn’t know what he’d do with himself without his husband around. He never wanted to find out. The prince pulled his lover closer subconsciously, as if he too could one day vanish without a trace.

“Zim’s likely still upset by the loss,” he planted a small kiss to Red’s cheek, “I’d be distraught if you disappeared too you know?”

“Would you now?” 

The two kissed, fully this time, almost trying to dispel the thought of being without the other by saying “I am here with you now.”

After a few minutes had passed, Red pulled back, their brief moment of bliss evaporating like dew under the morning sun.

“There is one other thing…”

Purple tilted his head, “Oh?”

“I don’t like that Zib kid. Isn’t it just a little too convenient that his brother gets lost on some expedition that he told no one about right after his father decides he’s old enough to take the throne? It’s not like I knew the kid that well, but it doesn’t seem right.”

Zib… The younger of the Membrane twins. He’d always been more reserved than his siblings. Calculated, always detached from what he could remember of their few interactions. He could almost swear he’d seen the prince spy on their sparring matches once, eyes agleam with a curiosity he couldn’t name. 

It almost looked like a hunger.

“Now that you mention it, the kid does give me the creeps. I’m not sure if that means he did anything though…”

Red let out a sigh, leaning his forehead to touch Purple’s. 

“You’re probably right. I shouldn’t worry about it. Since you mentioned food earlier, why don’t we get something to eat? Didn’t I ‘barely eat today?’”

“Of course. We can’t have you passing out during court later.”

“That would be an improvement if anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> So uhhhhh, I kinda love these morons? More than I expected? Red and Zim's relationship is... Complicated but we'll get into that later. Maybe. But Zim's not really in for a better time anytime soon. Whoops. Credit to @lululablette for getting me invested in them. And creating their personalities at all tbh.


End file.
